Why Flushing Animal Waste May be Not Advisable
Why Flushing Animal Waste May be Not Advisable
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Listed here on the next paragraphs you can get more worthwhile details around Why you should never flush dog poop down the toilet.
When it concerns getting rid of waste, particularly animal waste, many people often consider the hassle-free choice of flushing it down the toilet. Nevertheless, this apparently simple service can have major consequences for the setting and public health. In this post, we'll explore why flushing pet waste down the bathroom is a bad concept and offer different techniques for proper disposal.
Intro
Appropriate waste disposal is crucial for preserving environmental sustainability and public health. While it might seem safe to flush animal waste down the commode, it can result in various concerns, both for the environment and human health.
Risks of flushing pet waste
Environmental effect
Flushing animal waste presents harmful germs and pathogens into rivers, which can negatively affect aquatic environments. These pathogens can pollute water sources and damage aquatic life, disrupting delicate ecological communities.
Public health issues
Pet waste contains dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can present serious health and wellness dangers to human beings. Flushing animal waste down the bathroom can infect water supplies, resulting in the spread of conditions and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Instead of flushing pet waste down the commode, there are numerous alternative disposal methods that are a lot more eco-friendly and sanitary.
Composting
Composting animal waste is an environmentally friendly means to dispose of it. By composting, organic matter is broken down into nutrient-rich soil, which can be used to fertilize gardens and plants.
Garbage dump disposal
Throwing away pet waste in a land fill is one more choice. While not as eco-friendly as composting, it is a more secure choice to flushing, as it stops the contamination of water resources.
Pet garbage disposal systems
There are specific animal garbage disposal systems offered that safely and hygienically throw away animal waste. These systems often make use of enzymes to break down waste and get rid of smells.
Actions to proper pet waste disposal
To ensure correct disposal of pet waste, follow these steps:
Scooping and getting waste
Consistently scoop and bag animal waste using eco-friendly bags. This prevents waste from polluting the environment.
Making use of marked waste containers
Dispose of bagged animal waste in designated waste containers, such as compost bins or landfill containers. Prevent flushing it down the bathroom at all prices.
Cleansing can and pet dog areas on a regular basis
Consistently tidy can and family pet areas to prevent the buildup of waste and microorganisms. Usage pet-safe cleansing items to maintain hygiene.
Benefits of proper disposal techniques
Embracing appropriate disposal techniques for animal waste provides a number of advantages:
Lowered environmental pollution
Proper disposal methods lower the threat of environmental pollution, securing waterways and ecological communities from contamination
Lessened danger of water contamination.
By staying clear of flushing pet waste down the commode, the danger of water contamination is considerably decreased, safeguarding public health.
Boosted cleanliness and health
Appropriate disposal methods advertise better cleanliness and hygiene, producing a safer atmosphere for both people and pets.
Final thought
In conclusion, purging animal waste down the toilet is dangerous to the environment and public health. By embracing alternative disposal techniques and adhering to appropriate waste monitoring methods, we can decrease the adverse effect of pet waste and add to a cleaner, much healthier earth.
Can You Flush Dog and Cat Poo Down the Toilet?
Cat poo often contains a highly resistant parasite called Toxoplasma that can infect people and animals. Many municipal water treatments do not have equipment or processes to kill it (as they're designed for humans who don't poop this parasite!) meaning it would pass into our waterways, posing a risk to humans and animals alike. It can even prove fatal for some wildlife.
Many studies have shown that so called biodegradable and 'flushable' products, including flushable poo bags, don't actually disintegrate as claimed. This is primarily because they're designed to biodegrade in warm water, not cold water, like that in our toilets. In fact, 'flushable' poo bags have historically caused $8 million in blockages in Australia so it's not recommended to try flushing these bags, despite what they claim! The same goes for cat litter. Our old sewage systems are only designed for the 3 P's - Pee, Poo and Paper and can easily get blocked if anything else is thrown in.
So what about dog poo (without the bags)?
Again, dog poo is considerably different to human poo. It contains twice the harmful bacteria and viruses and also contains unique parasites. One particular parasite, Toxocara, is highly resistant to high temperatures. Our water treatment facilities are not designed to deal with dog poo pathogens such as this so there's a chance that they will pass through and contaminate our waterways if flushed down the toilet. Toxocara can also infect humans, causing blindness in children and infect animals so presents a public health risk. This is why many waste water treatment plants advise against flushing any type of pet poo down the toilet, due to the extra pathogens it contains.
Dog and cat poo can also contain medicines, such as parasite treatments, which can be highly toxic to aquatic life and may threaten the stability of entire ecosystems. Medicines are much trickier to clean from sewage and will likely pass unchanged into our waterways.
Scalability
There's also the question of whether flushing pet waste could really ever be a viable widespread solution. Could our old sewage systems really cope with the additional faeces of 12 million dogs and 10 million cats if everyone starting flushing their pet's poo? It's unlikely!
We contacted Wessex Water and South West Water on the matter of flushing pet poo and both gave different answers. The former advised it was safe to do so, while the latter strongly advised against it! This may be due to their different treatment processes which can vary depending on location. However both water companies agreed that you should never flush any 'flushable' products down the toilet, even if they claim to be safe to flush as in real world this just simply isn't the case and they often cause costly blockages. They emphasised that only the three P's - Poo, Paper and Pee should ever be flushed down the toilet.
Conclusion
In summary, never flush biodegradable or 'flushable' poo bags or cat litter down the toilet. We also feel it's safer to avoid flushing cat and dog faeces, due to it's pathogenic content, the unknown risks of parasite treatments and medicines on wildlife and the wider environment and due to the inconsistent advice. Dog poo may be disposed in a well managed compost or wormery, rather than down the toilet. If you are still really keen to flush pet poo, make sure you speak to your local water treatment plant before you do so, as they may or may not have the treatments to safely process it.
If you dispose of your pet's waste in general waste then ensure to do so in the most eco-friendly way by using recycled poo bags such as Award Winning ReSEAcled poo bags. Experts advice it's better to re-use waste that was already destined for landfill or incineration rather than using poo bags made form virgin materials because this helps reduce plastic production, reduce plastic pollution and cuts carbon emissions and energy use. ReSEAcled poo bags are also the world's first Plastic Negative poo bags, removing 5 times as much plastic from the environment than they use! Click here to learn more.
https://petimpact.co.uk/blogs/poo-revolution/can-you-flush-pet-poo-down-the-toilet
Consistently tidy can and family pet areas to prevent the buildup of waste and microorganisms. Usage pet-safe cleansing items to maintain hygiene.
Benefits of proper disposal techniques
Embracing appropriate disposal techniques for animal waste provides a number of advantages:
Lowered environmental pollution
Proper disposal methods lower the threat of environmental pollution, securing waterways and ecological communities from contamination
Lessened danger of water contamination.
By staying clear of flushing pet waste down the commode, the danger of water contamination is considerably decreased, safeguarding public health.
Boosted cleanliness and health
Appropriate disposal methods advertise better cleanliness and hygiene, producing a safer atmosphere for both people and pets.
Final thought
In conclusion, purging animal waste down the toilet is dangerous to the environment and public health. By embracing alternative disposal techniques and adhering to appropriate waste monitoring methods, we can decrease the adverse effect of pet waste and add to a cleaner, much healthier earth.
Can You Flush Dog and Cat Poo Down the Toilet?
Cat poo often contains a highly resistant parasite called Toxoplasma that can infect people and animals. Many municipal water treatments do not have equipment or processes to kill it (as they're designed for humans who don't poop this parasite!) meaning it would pass into our waterways, posing a risk to humans and animals alike. It can even prove fatal for some wildlife.
Many studies have shown that so called biodegradable and 'flushable' products, including flushable poo bags, don't actually disintegrate as claimed. This is primarily because they're designed to biodegrade in warm water, not cold water, like that in our toilets. In fact, 'flushable' poo bags have historically caused $8 million in blockages in Australia so it's not recommended to try flushing these bags, despite what they claim! The same goes for cat litter. Our old sewage systems are only designed for the 3 P's - Pee, Poo and Paper and can easily get blocked if anything else is thrown in.
So what about dog poo (without the bags)?
Again, dog poo is considerably different to human poo. It contains twice the harmful bacteria and viruses and also contains unique parasites. One particular parasite, Toxocara, is highly resistant to high temperatures. Our water treatment facilities are not designed to deal with dog poo pathogens such as this so there's a chance that they will pass through and contaminate our waterways if flushed down the toilet. Toxocara can also infect humans, causing blindness in children and infect animals so presents a public health risk. This is why many waste water treatment plants advise against flushing any type of pet poo down the toilet, due to the extra pathogens it contains.
Dog and cat poo can also contain medicines, such as parasite treatments, which can be highly toxic to aquatic life and may threaten the stability of entire ecosystems. Medicines are much trickier to clean from sewage and will likely pass unchanged into our waterways.
Scalability
There's also the question of whether flushing pet waste could really ever be a viable widespread solution. Could our old sewage systems really cope with the additional faeces of 12 million dogs and 10 million cats if everyone starting flushing their pet's poo? It's unlikely!
We contacted Wessex Water and South West Water on the matter of flushing pet poo and both gave different answers. The former advised it was safe to do so, while the latter strongly advised against it! This may be due to their different treatment processes which can vary depending on location. However both water companies agreed that you should never flush any 'flushable' products down the toilet, even if they claim to be safe to flush as in real world this just simply isn't the case and they often cause costly blockages. They emphasised that only the three P's - Poo, Paper and Pee should ever be flushed down the toilet.
Conclusion
In summary, never flush biodegradable or 'flushable' poo bags or cat litter down the toilet. We also feel it's safer to avoid flushing cat and dog faeces, due to it's pathogenic content, the unknown risks of parasite treatments and medicines on wildlife and the wider environment and due to the inconsistent advice. Dog poo may be disposed in a well managed compost or wormery, rather than down the toilet. If you are still really keen to flush pet poo, make sure you speak to your local water treatment plant before you do so, as they may or may not have the treatments to safely process it.
If you dispose of your pet's waste in general waste then ensure to do so in the most eco-friendly way by using recycled poo bags such as Award Winning ReSEAcled poo bags. Experts advice it's better to re-use waste that was already destined for landfill or incineration rather than using poo bags made form virgin materials because this helps reduce plastic production, reduce plastic pollution and cuts carbon emissions and energy use. ReSEAcled poo bags are also the world's first Plastic Negative poo bags, removing 5 times as much plastic from the environment than they use! Click here to learn more.
https://petimpact.co.uk/blogs/poo-revolution/can-you-flush-pet-poo-down-the-toilet
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